Hackers withdrew $143k+ in bitcoin from WannaCry attacks

Hackers responsible for the WannaCry attacks in May have cashed out more than $143,000 from ransoms paid by the ransomware targets, reports CNBC.

The ransomware, which infected computer systems around the world, demanded victims play roughly $300 to unlock their files.

The hackers recently withdrew 52.2 bitcoins — totaling more than $143,000 — from online wallets, according to Elliptic, a London-based startup that helps law enforcement track criminal cryptocurrency activity.

"We're following the movement of funds being sent out of the WannaCry wallets," Elliptic co-founder and COO Tom Robinson, PhD, told CNBC via email. "We believe some of these funds are being converted into Monero, a privacy-focused cryptocurrency. We continue to work with law enforcement to support their efforts in tracing ownership of these funds."

The wallets associated with the WannaCry attacks now have a zero balance.